Page 147 of The Substitute Fiancée

“To friendship!”

Around ten p.m., the group begins to disperse.

The goodbyes drag on, filled with hugs and final words of encouragement.

Then suddenly, it’s just Sam and me left on the sidewalk, under the soft glow of the streetlights.

“Would you like to go grab a drink, just the two of us?” she asks timidly.

My heart leaps in my chest.

“Nothing would make me happier.”

A discreet smile curves her lips. We walk to my car, parked a little farther down the street. The night air is soft, almost warm, carrying the scents of the city.

As we get into the car, I ask her:

“Where do you want to go?”

She looks at me. Her eyes catch the light from the streetlamps.

“To your place.”

The world stops.

Those two words. So simple. So heavy with meaning.

I feel my pulse quicken. My mouth goes dry.

“Okay,” I murmur.

My voice is rougher than I intended.

I start the car, my hands trembling slightly on the steering wheel. The drive passes in a silence thick with tension, anticipation, expectation.

The streets blur past. Red lights. Other cars. Everything feels unreal, as if we’re suspended in a bubble outside of time.

We finally arrive. I park in the underground garage. The silence is deafening when I turn off the engine.

She doesn’t move. Neither do I.

Then, slowly, she turns her head toward me.

“Alexander,” she whispers.

“Yes?”

“I… I’m not sure what I really want. But I know I want to be with you tonight.”

My breath catches. Those words. That vulnerability.

“I’m here,” I answer softly. “For whatever you want. However you want it.”

She nods, then opens her door.

We ride the elevator up in silence. The confined space seems to close in around us. I feel the warmth of her body just inches from mine. Her scent wraps around me.

The floors tick by.